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Angus King's ransom: Which side would he join in Senate?

The independent candidate in the Maine Senate race is a former two-term governor. | AP Photo

The shakeup in the Maine race came after veteran Sen. Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican with wide popularity in the state, suddenly announced last week that she will retire, setting off a frantic effort by both parties to win the seat. With Democrats now holding a 53-47 edge in the Senate and battlegrounds in only a handful of states, the winner of the Maine race could determine which party controls the chamber and the power to drive the national agenda.

It’s hardly unprecedented for an independent senator to play majority maker. In 2001, Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an independent and caucus with Democrats, making Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) the majority leader.

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And after the 2008 elections, there was fear that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) would leave the Democratic Caucus if his colleagues retaliated against him for his vocal support of John McCain’s presidential bid. But his colleagues chose not to strip his committee gavel, and he handed Democrats a powerful 60-40 supermajority.

King has been noncommittal himself since he announced his candidacy earlier this week. Crystal Canney, spokeswoman for the former governor, said King was not available for an interview Thursday.

“Angus has not had any discussions or made any commitments to caucus with either party,” Canney said.

That’s giving pause to Democrats eyeing the Senate seat. What if the party’s decision to play nice with King backfires and he decides to support Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for majority leader because Republicans offer more plum committee assignments?

Democrats in Washington are privately confident that won’t happen. They believe King, if elected, would caucus with Democrats, especially as Republicans attack him on the campaign trail and national Democrats play nice.

But Democratic state Sen. Cynthia Dill, who is seeking her party’s nomination, said, “It’s quite frightening to hear Gov. King may or may not caucus with Democrats.”

Dill, who hails from the more progressive southern part of the state, added that it’s the job of national parties to get behind their nominees. Democrats shouldn’t roll the dice on a candidate “who really doesn’t stand for things right now.”

Dill could face a crowded primary field, and all eyes are on another former governor, Democrat John Baldacci, who is weighing a run.

If he's a fiscal conservative, the Dems will h8 him. The same for the Repubs if he's VERY liberal on social issues. Will be interesting to watch. Wish he would caucus alone and vote independently without regard to the two party power structures.

Angus only became an independent governor because he lost the 1994 Democratic primary to the party's machine candidate, Joe Brennan who was one of the biggest Ds in the state at the time having been governor 10 years earlier. Then King ran as an independent and won.

Great, another Liebermanesque egomaniac willing to paralyze pending legislation to get his name in headlines and have his privates kissed by both parties. Other than more baggers, this is what the congress needs least.

What is it about Maine that produces RHINOs? I certainly hope that some real Conservative Republican will emerge who is not part of the "establishment" and who won't buckle under pressure and vote with the Liberal Democrats in Washington. Angus Wilson sounds like the name of an expensive beef steak or some pretentious WASP.

Yesterday I listened to caller after caller from Maine telling us all that King is a Far Left nutjob...Given his fondness for everything "Green", I'm leaning toward their conclusion also...but I've got enough problems...I live here in the MA, the most corrupt state in the Union...

I lived in Maine and nearby in NH for many years including those in which King was governor. He's a very decent guy and quite intelligent, and I think he would make an excellent senator.

I'm delighted to see that the NRSC is in total disarray due to the timing of Sen. Snowe's retirement announcement - it's almost as if she waited until the last minute to stick it to the loons who now run her party and who have created the atmosphere she decries. At this point the Republicans have nothing. Circulating web videos and trying to concern-troll Democrats into not voting for King? It is to laugh.